Love and the Grand Tug-of-war

大綱引の恋 Ôtsunahiki no koi

Director: SASABE Kiyoshi
2011, 108 minutes, OmeU

A drama about family ties, friendships and interpersonal relationships that revolve around the "Great Tug of War" of Satsumasendai, a spectacular event that looks back on more than 400 years of tradition. It is the last directorial work of Sasabe Kiyoshi, who died unexpectedly at the age of 62 after completing the film.

The 35-year-old single Takeshi has lost his job in Tokyo and returns to his parents' house in Sendai. Since childhood, he has dreamed of taking on the honorable role of lead drummer at the city's "Great Tug of War". Before the festival, events come thick and fast as Takeshi falls in love with a Korean assistant doctor who is soon to return home, and his mother makes a decision that throws family life into turmoil.

Film series
JFF Theater
Films from the streaming platform JFF Theater in the hall of the Japanese Cultural Institute

Following the great success of the Japanese Film Festival (JFF), the Japan Foundation has launched the online streaming platform JFF Theater. Under the motto "Moved, Touched & Inspired", Japanese films and videos are made available with multilingual subtitles and can be accessed free of charge anytime and anywhere. The only requirement is a user account.

Of the films that can be viewed online on the JFF Theater streaming platform, four titles will be shown on the screen at the Japanese Cultural Institute in June. The two documentaries A Handful of Salt and The Genealogy of Sake by Ishii Kaori were made in the Ishikawa region and present masters of salt and sake production. In contrast, the two feature films Love and the Grand Tug-of-war and Three Sisters by Sasabe Kiyoshi tell stories from Kagoshima with its famous "Great Tug-of-War " and the Lantern Festival.

Streaming program from May 1 to August 1, 2025

The link to the JFF theater streaming platform: https://en.jff.jpf.go.jp/